Fear is a great evil and is completely inconsistent with democracy and republicanism, former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi said here on Monday while receiving a D.Litt (Honoris Causa) conferred on him by the University of Calcutta.
“It is of vital importance that freedom of thought and expression, and freedom of speech and of writing, be exercised fearlessly in our country. Fear is a great evil and is completely inconsistent with democracy and republicanism,” Mr. Gandhi said at the ceremony. He emphasised that “fear and democracy do not go together.”
“All of us do have a responsibility to think with responsibility and in complete freedom; to write with the same freedom without being bullied by anybody,” Mr. Gandhi said.
In his short acceptance speech, Mr. Gandhi quoted Rabindranath Tagore a couple of times, the first time on being humbled to receive the honours.
“I have taken much more than I have given …received far more than I have rendered,” Mr. Gandhi said quoting Tagore’s lines “ diyechi joto niyechi taar besi .”
He went on to say that to have served in the State of West Bengal and associate with the lives of the people of the State has been the “greatest good fortune” that could have come his way. He added that Bengal would lead India out of the darkness, fear and inhibition that may come its way.
Mr. Gandhi, who held the post of Governor in the State, during the tumultuous times of the Singur and Nadigram movement, said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has the great role and responsibility of “keeping the torch of liberty, democracy and republicanism alive.”
